The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-04-23
SCRUBS Or GRADES.
Figures Showing That 1t Is Losing
Business to Raise Poor Stock.

I
| A farmer who wrote in favor of
scrubs as 60 best suited to the average
farmer of the country" had as low an
estimate of the ability of his brother
farmers as he had of improved cattle.
thought he slandered both. His
strong argument was that the scrub
will hunt his own living, costs little,
and when he sold his two-year- olds for
$18 to $22 per head, and his three-year-
Odds for $25 to $35, at was nearly all
clear profit" He spent nothing for
stabling, nothing for cutting fodder"
The straw they used was the "chief
expense, as it could have been sold to
make paper" Thoroughbreds, he
said, "would not jump fence"
His cattle were active, ate up pasture
clean, and wasted nothing, but they
were very ready to jump the fence or
tear it down. That, he admitted, was
an objection to his stock. Still, with
all that, they made their own living!
From his own showing, it is
doubtful if his scrubs, when sold at
$1S to $22, paid for straw consumed,
fences and crops destroyed. L believe
that the majority of farmers agree
that improved stock is more profitable
than scrubs, yet they do not raise the
improved animals. Their belief does
not lead to change of life and
methods. That some one may be led
to believe unto his salvation from the
thraldom of scrubs and poverty, let
us impress the lesson by a few figures.
The time to sell good cattle is at two
years old, or at thirty months. A good
grade steer will weigh at this age 1000
pounds, and will bring So cents per
pound, or $8S. Ten such steers will
bring $3.50. If farmer raises ten good
grade steers each yeaf for ten years, he
gets for his cattle $500.
| Now let us see what the scrub neigh
Dor has done. A scrub two years old
usually weighs about 700 pounds, and
sells at % cents per pound, or one
scrub sells for $3.50, and ten scrubs
bring $175. In ten years, raising ten
scrubs Il year, the scrubby proceeds are
$1,750. In other words, the farmer
who raises scrub cattle ten years gets
for them the sum of $1,75O. The
farmer who raises ten good grade
steers a year for ten years gets for
them the sum of $8,S00-a diff
ference of 1850 in favor of the inn
proved stock.
Now which of these cattle growers
has the most respect for himself and
his callingp In fact the man who per-
sists in earning only S1,750 in ten
years, when by more intelligent effort
he can in the same time earn So, 800 or
more, can have no respect for himself
or his calling. He is hopeless scrub,
and yet the advocate for scrubs says
such cattle are chest suited for the
average farmer in his county"
Nor is the showing in favor of i'm
proved pigs any less encouraging. The
hazel-splitters at one year do well to
turn the scales at 200 pounds, and are
well sold at three cents. or Sc head.
Forty such will bring $240. The aver
age weight of well-bred pig of one
year is at least $50 pounds I have had
them to weigh $50 pounds at one year,
but the average is $50 pounds. Such
pigs will sell readily at five cents when
the other class will bring three cents.
One yearling pig Of good blood will
therefore bring $3.50. and forty of
them will bring 500. Ten years
growing hazel-splitters 81, 400; ten
years growing well-bred hogs brings
$1,000.
1t pays to raise good stock. 1t is a
losing business to raise scrubs. But
the average farmer ought to raise on
100 acres ten steers and forty hogs. If
he raises good stock his annual income
is 81, $50 for hogs and cattle. Ii in
ferior stock, then his income falls to
$415. In twenty years the raiser of
forty good hogs and ten good steers
each year will receive $31, 600. He
who raises forty hazel-splitters and ten
scrubs year for twenty years will re-
ceive only $500.
Let the young farmer now decide,
whether he will work twenty-years
for S31 800, and have the respect of his
ncighbors and his sons, or will work a
score of Years for $500 and have the
sad reflection that he has been fail
ure as a farmer. This thing of raising
the best of its kind, whether it be
stock, fruit or vegetables, has an ele-
waiting influence on the man and his
community. 1t gives him shekels in
his pocket and standing among his
rivals in business Cor. Ohio Farmer.
Court Procedures IN Europe.